San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-11-04
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER, a, 1887.
PULLING THE PROHIBS.

The Ohio prohibitionists have run
against full-sized snag in the Soldiers
Home at Dayton, In that state. Gen.
Patrick is the hard-hesded old soldier
who Is governor Of the home for dis
abled and stranded boys in blue. The
experiences Of army life, and his later
experiences as the head OF this home,
convinced him that the use Of
malt liquors was conducive to So
briefly rather than the reverse, and
in the face Of great Opposi
ton he determined to follow out
his convictions in the management OF
the home. A beer hall was opened at
the home and the soldiers were permit
ted to purchase malt liquors at their
will, instead Of going to the city, get
ting drunk and being placed under ar
rest. The report Of the effects OF this
new departure is made to cover the
conduct of the soldiers in the city and in
the home itself. The former re-
port is made from the official
records Of the mayors Office,
and shows that from July 18th
1886 to July LIST, 1856, there were 4SG SOL
diers arrested in town. The beer
hall was opened In July, of the latter
year, and from July 18th, 1856, to July
LIST, 1887, there were but PA arrests; a
falling off of 2l2 In the number of arrests,
adeOrease OF nearly A per cent. This
favorable change in the condition of af-
fairs is fully borne out in the report of
the surgeon OF the home, who, in his Of
fetal report, says:
The small number treated for alcoholism
this year, fourteen, as compared with thirty
eight in 1885, and thirty-nve in 1855, is to bc
credited TO the less number of soldiers who
are given to protracted debauchcs and bad
liquor. Since the opening of the beer hall not
one-tifth as many cases have been treated at
the guard-hOuse and hospital after sprceing
this year as in former years. The discipline
and good order of the home has never been as
good as now, nor have the men been as con-
tented, and more money is sent by pens oners
and employees to their families than ever be-
fore"
So completely and unanswerably has
this change been approved by the re-
suits, that even the most fanatic prohi-
bitionists, who have been investigating
the facts at the home, have come to the
very wise conclusion that under the cir
cumstanoes, 1t would not be best to in
terfere with the Home au-
thorities" 10 the exercise OF their
best judgment in this matter.
As the facts become better known
the fanatical cry OF down with the beer
halls In the soldiers homes" is dying
out, and is only reiterated by those who
are ignorant Of the circumstances as &C.
tually existing, That this experiment
is not carried on in a small Institution Is
evident, as this home cared for 6,O22
soldiers during the year in which the
beer hall was opened, the average num-
Der being SIG.
This practical exposition of the real
benefits resulting from the use of malt
liquors, IN this establishment. In check
ing the tendency to drunkenness
and decreasing the number of those
who were the victims OF alcoholism
cannot be set aside. Those who are
more in earnest about decreasing the
evils Of liquor dealing to excess than to
dem onstrate the value OF some particu-
lar theory Of prohibition, will not light
ly esteem the evidence here given by
municipal and medical authority. This
case greatly strengthens the hands and
the confidence of those who, believing
that In the freer use of malt liquors will
be found an antidote to drunkenness,
conscienciously advocate the general
use Of beer and wine and oppose all pro-
hibitive ensctments leyelled against
their use.